Global warming and the rise in ocean levels are the two threats that coastal megacities are facing now and will have to encounter in next coming decades. Melting ice caps, extreme weather conditions, and land subsidence are the factors that researchers estimate as the disaster of several big cities even before 2050. Below is the list of the first ten cities that might not survive until 2050 because of the water.
1. Miami, Florida, USA
It is Miami, with its low elevation and coral limestone foundation, that is the most hazardous city in the US, which is at high risk. Miami is built on porous limestone, and seawater can filter in, making the city extremely vulnerable to the adverse effects of storm tides. Nonetheless, the projections are of the opinion that 50% of the city will be underwater by 2050.
2. Venice, Italy
Venice is virtually below the sea level, but due to the rising seawater, this process is more burdensome. The floods, like the famous “acqua alta” (high water) ones, are normal, and even more such scenarios are discussed. In this regard, it has been suggested that the city’s invested MOSE system may still be unable to prevent it from going down the drain in the next 50 years.
3. Bangkok, Thailand
One of the world’s fastest subsiding cities at the rate of more than 1 cm per year, Bangkok has severe conditions of land sinking due to uncontrolled execution and underground water extraction. It is appalling that this city might be submerged by 2050, and millions of its population might have to flee elsewhere if this scenario is a reality.
4. Jakarta, Indonesia
Over the years, Jakarta has been proven to be one of the fastest-sinking cities per year at a rate of 25 cm, which is even more than a meter in some areas. The government of Indonesia is on record as having proposed that they will uproot the center of their Capital to Borneo in a bid to keep the people safe and save billions in destruction.
5. New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
New Orleans has been constructed below sea level and is defended by levees, but still, the place is at a very high risk. While the land is sinking and seas are becoming higher, specialists are sending us a message that the majority of the city could find itself underwater in about 30 years.
6. Dhaka, Bangladesh
Bangladesh is indeed highly vulnerable to the effects of climate, and its capital, Dhaka, is being exposed to severe flooding risks. The city will be mostly underwater due to the combined effect of rising sea levels and heavier monsoon rains by 2050.
7. Alexandria, Egypt
This old city is under the threat of the ever-adjusting Mediterranean Sea level, which might erode away not only the beaches but also he ancient landmarks and the swelling human population as well. It has been found that erosion and saltwater intrusion are the main problems.
8. Shanghai, China
Moreover, Shanghai, which is among the most populous coastal cities in the world, is at a very high risk of experiencing severe flooding following the ongoing land subsidence and extremely fast sea level changes. Extremely little, if an, is known in the long run about the very existence of this city, as even the government’s protection plans are in question.
9. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam is a city that constitutes the country’s industrial and financial center, er with a dominant area built on marshlands and lying elevation below the average sea level, thus highly prone to flooding. Given the increase in the strength of storms and the level of seas, the city could eventually be lying deep down underwater by 2050.
10. Lagos, Nigeria
Lagos, which is the biggest city in Africa, is located in an area void of dryland, and besides, the fast-paced growth of the city over the last few years has had a negative effect on the flooding situation there. Together with the overuse of the sea resources, Lagos may endure more frequent and severe inundations due to the rising level of the ocean shortly.
What Can Be Done?
On the one hand, in the absence of clean energy, emission reductions, and the solving of the other global issues that causes climate changes, certain cities are taking steps such as the erection of barriers, the reconquering of the land from the sea, or the voluntary transfer of populations to resident-safe areas, but it might be not enough to protect them from the 5mm sea-level rise. In other words, as far as the future is concerned, these 10 cities, in addition to many others, are on the brink of losing their identities or might be entirely wiped away by 2050 if a strict global response is not taken into account.
